Palestine Safety Guide
Health, security, and travel safety information
Emergency Numbers
Save these numbers before your trip.
Healthcare
What to know about medical care in Palestine.
The Ministry of Health runs public wards. Private or NGO clinics mean shorter waits and English-speaking doctors. Prices sit well below Israeli or Jordanian levels.
Tourists usually pick Al-Makassed Islamic Hospital (East Jerusalem) or Augusta Victoria for surgery. In Gaza, Shifa is the main referral hospital but entry is tight.
Well-stocked chemists on Main Street, Ramallah and Star Street, Bethlehem sell most meds over the counter. Insulin and inhalers are in stock. Yet pack spares if your brand is rare.
Travel insurance isn't required at the border. Yet hospitals want a deposit or policy number before non-urgent care.
- ✓ Pack a doctor's note for strong painkillers, codeine is controlled.
- ✓ Tap water is chlorinated. Drink bottled the first week to dodge stomach bugs.
Common Risks
Be aware of these potential issues.
Watch for pick-pockets in packed souqs and on East-Jerusalem, Ramallah serveeces (shared taxis).
Flares can ignite near Qalandiya, Bethlehem 's 300 Checkpoint or in Hebron's H2 zone.
Drivers are wild, Route 60 is dim after dark and refugee camps throw up speed bumps.
Scams to Avoid
Watch out for these common tourist scams.
Unlicensed teens offer queue-jumping for cash, then vanish once the money changes hands.
Shops price in Israeli shekels but hand change in Jordanian dinars at lousy rates.
Drivers from Jerusalem dump you at a checkpoint, swear you need a second 'special' cab, and sting you for the short hop to Ramallah.
Safety Tips
Practical advice to stay safe.
- • Snap a photo of your passport and Israeli visa slip. Soldiers at Huwwara checkpoint sometimes pocket the paper.
- • Write your hotel address in Arabic. Cabbies know districts faster than GPS.
- • If you wander into a protest, sidestep into side streets, never run against the tide.
- • Do not photograph youths throwing stones. Phones have been confiscated.
- • Eat hummus and falafel while hot. Salads left in the sun spoil fast in Palestine summer heat.
- • Peel fruit yourself. Roadside stalls rinse produce in tank water.
Information for Specific Travelers
Safety considerations for different traveler groups.
Women travelling alone report few hassles. Hospitality culture means families often steer foreigners to the right bus.
- → Sit in the front passenger seat of serveeces to avoid overcrowding in the back.
- → If you feel uneasy, say 'Allah yikhalleeki', locals usually step in.
Same-sex relations are legal under the Jordanian-era penal code still used in the West Bank; Gaza follows British Mandate amendments, technically illegal yet rarely enforced against foreigners.
- → Reserve twin rooms instead of doubles in small guesthouses to avoid awkward questions.
- → Ramallah 's cafés welcome international NGO staff. Steer clear of orientation chat with cabbies outside main hubs.
Travel Insurance
Protect yourself before you travel.
Medical evacuation to Jerusalem or Amman runs into thousands; Palestine travel insurance covers ambulance transfer through checkpoints.
Ready to plan your trip to Palestine?
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